Henrry Josue Villatoro Santos, a 24-year-old Peruvian national accused of being an MS-13 head on the East Coast, was cleared of all legal costs by a US federal prosecutor on Wednesday, allowing his imprisonment, according to his lawyer.
The Justice Department’s earlier statement about the Justice Department’s purpose to arrest Villatoro Santos indicated that the department had already made the request to drop the charges earlier this month.
A US captain from the Fugitive Task Force was present at the hearing, which suggested an immediate move to emigration custody. Following the reading, defense attorney Muhammad Elsayed stated that, according to CBS News,” they’re likely to take him quite quickly.”
Henrry Villatoro Santos was detained on March 27 during a search of his Woodbridge, Virginia, apartment, and charged with possessing a firearm while an illegal immigrant.
Authorities located gang-related items in his home and car and identified him as one of the best three MS-13 group leaders in the US.
Attorney General Pam Bondi requested the costs get dropped before on April 9 to prevent a protracted US prison sentence for him.
The movement was delayed by a federal judge on April 18 before US District Court Judge Claude Hilton approved it on Wednesday.
Despite claims of unknown violent crimes and global leadership in criminal pursuits, the Justice Department’s investigation into cost termination has not publicly identified any violent acts against him.
Elsayed remarked in court that” this is an unusual case,” noting that it was the judge’s responsibility to determine whether a motion was made in good faith.
He questioned the confusion of successive legal proceedings and questioned the Justice Department’s lack of justification for withdrawing costs. Elsayed noted post-hearing, CBS reported,” There will likely be more trials.”
The defense attorney criticized the Justice Department’s use of Rule 48 ( a ) to dismiss the indictment, claiming that it violated due-process protections.
According to Elsayed,” They want to arrest him without due method,” referring to Bondi’s assertions and noting the department of homeland security’s minimal involvement. The defense had previously extended the circumstance beyond its original request, according to the government’s attorneys.
Tricia McLaughlin, the assistant secretary for land security for the department, told Fox News Digital about the growing gang desperation, noting that 2, 394 illegal gang members were apprehended during Trump’s first 100-day rule.
She said,” This is just the beginning.”
” This is just 100 days. We want to publicize these incarceration records. We want to remove MS-13, Tren de Aragua, and other incredibly poor performers from our nation. And that’s what we’re going to provide, she continued.
